 LARGEMOUTH BASS
Scientific Name: Micropterus salmoides
Other
Common Names: black bass, chub, green trout, bucketmouth,
bigmouth
Identification
A
member of the sunfish family, the largemouth bass gets its name
from its large mouth, which is a good way to distinguish
it from other species of bass. When the mouth is closed, the upper
jaw extends well beyond the eye, whereas the jaws of the closely
related smallmouth and spotted
bass do not extend beyond the eye.
The color of largemouth bass varies depending on the clarity of
the water it inhabits. In relatively clear water, it has a dark
green
upper body fading into a whitish belly, with a series of dark marks
forming a dark horizontal band along the middle of the body. As
water clarity decreases, the colors become more muted and the fish
tends
to be more silver in appearance.
Habitats and
Habits
In North Carolina,
largemouth bass are found in lakes, ponds and sluggish streams
and rivers. They prefer locations
with lots of structure, such as submerged vegetation, brush piles,
stumps, boat docks and standing timber. Underwater points, humps,
drop-offs, bridge pilings and old road beds are also favored haunts,
particularly in reservoirs. Largemouth bass are most active at 77 F to 86 F, but can be caught
in water temperatures well below this range. Feeding slows as temperatures
approach 50 F, and they cannot survive long periods where water temperatures
exceed 98 F.
Largemouth bass spawn in the spring as water temperatures reach
63 F to 68 F. A female lays eggs in a saucer-shaped nest constructed
by the male, usually found in one to four feet of water. The male
guards the nest from predators and keeps silt and other debris off
the eggs.
Juvenile largemouth bass eat insects and fish fry when young. As
they get older, they primarily eat sunfish, shad and crayfish but
will also feed on amphibians, reptiles and small mammals.
Fishing Techniques
Use
a wide variety of fishing methods to catch largemouth bass. Artificial
baits such as crankbaits, spinnerbaits,
topwaters, jigs and soft plastic lures imitating minnows, crayfish,
salamanders and worms are good choices. Live baits such as minnows,
nightcrawlers and crayfish also can be effective. As the most popular game fish in the United States, largemouth bass
receive a good deal of fishing pressure, often making them difficult
to catch in popular fishing areas. Local tackle shops and other anglers
are good sources of useful information on what is working for a particular
body of water.
Good Places to
Fish
In the Coastal
Plain, the best fishing places to catch largemouth bass are the
numerous blackwater rivers found
throughout the region. In the Piedmont and Mountains, the best
places are ponds and reservoirs.
NCARP Minimum
Requirements: 8
pounds or 24 inches
State
Record: 15 lbs., 14 oz., from a farm pond in Union County, March 29, 1991
World
Record: 22 lbs., 4 oz., from Montgomery Lake, Ga., June 2, 1932*
* Anglers
provide information on their potential world-record catches directly
to the International
Game Fish Association, which maintains the world records
for sport fishing.
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